Process of producing coke and gas from fluid hydrocarbon.



L. P. LOWE:

PROCSOF PRODUCING COKE AND GAS FROM FLUID HYDROCARBON.

APPLICATION FILED APR.29.1914.

1,174,511. I I Patented Maf.7,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Fi i.

INVENTOR, Leon 1. Laura %@%M WW $26 11% ATTORNEY WITNESSES.-

r L. P. LOWE. PROCESS OF PRODUCiNG COKE AND GAS FROM FLUID HYDROCARBON Sw APPLICATION FILED M R. 29, I914- 1,174,51 1.

Patented Mar. 7, 191

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- INVENTOR. Leon '1. Lou/e,

M hz-M r WITNESSES A TTORNE Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEON 1P. OI SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

rnocnss F PRODUCING COKE AND GAS FROM FLUID HYDROCABBON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

, Patented Mar. 7, 1916;

Application filed April 29, 1914. Serial No. 885,181.

a To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEON P. "LOWE, a citizen of the United States,residing at San and gas from petroleum, or other fluid hydrocarbons,including natural gases.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical section of anapparatus for carrying out my improved process; Fig. 2 1s a similar viewof a modification thereof.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates a metal shell having a bricklining 2. Extending transversely across said shell are horizontal seriesof arches, namely, a lower series of arches 3 to support the solid con:

.. stitiients recovered from petroleum, an intermediate series of arches1 above said solid constituents to protect them from the agitatingaction of air introduced above the arches 4 during the reheating step ofmy improved process, and an upper series of arches 5, which supportchecker br1ck-work 6 extending upwardlv to within a short distance of ythe top of the shell. Upon said shell 1 is erected a stack 7, andproducts of combustion from-the interior of said shell discharge intosaid stack through an opening in the top of the shell controlled by avalve 8. The stack 7 is not, however, a necessary part of r theapparatus, and can be dispensed with if preferred to supply air byforced blast.

Leading into the space 9 between the top of the shell and the top of thechecker brickwork are valve-controlled oil conduits l0, and pipes 11 foradmitting preferably corn-f pressed combustible gas to assist inatomizing or spraying the fluid hydrocarbon. Into the space 12 betweenthe upper arches 5 and the intermediate protective arches 4 011 or gasis admitted by valve-controlled burners or atomizers 13 and air isadmitted by valve controlled air conduits 14. Access is had to the space15 immediately above the lower arches 3 by charging and discharglngdoors 16. Into the space 17 between the lower arches and the bottom ofthe apparatus air can enter by a valve-controlled conduit 18 and gas canautomatically escape by an outlet 19 leading to the usual seals,washers,

condensers and the' like. Access is also had to said space by acleaning-out door 20.

In carrying out my improved process, a shallow layer of coke, coal orother suitable carbonaceous substance is placed on the lower arches 3,ignited, and brought to a high degree of heat by an air blast admittedthrough the air conduit 18. Simultaneously air is admitted by theconduits 14 and the checker brick-work 6 above the upper arches 5 ishighly heated by the combustion of oil or gas admitted .by the burners13, all the products of combustion escaping through the valve 8. Whenthe checker brick-work 6 hasbeen sufiiciently heated, probably from 1600to2200 F. the' burners 13 are closed, the air blasts through the, airconduits 14 and 18 are shut off, and the valve 8 is closed. The conduits10 and 11 are opened and oil or other suitable fluid hydrocarbon is thenatomized or sprayed, either bv direct pressure .or compressedcombustible gas, into the space above the checker brick-work 6,) throughwhich it passes downwardly. In so passing the atomized hydrocarbon is,more or less completely, broken down into hydrogen and carbon, thelatter assuming the solid form known as lamp black. This mixture ofhydrogen and carbon, with residual tarry hydrocarbons if any, thenpasses down through the bed of incandescent fuel on the lower arches 3,which fuel bed filters out and retains the solid carbon and stillfurther breaks down the residual hydrocarbons into carbon and gas, thegas passing through the fuel bed, and through the lower arches, escapingfrom the apparatus at the gas outlet 19, from which it passes to thecustomary seal, cooling apparatus, condensers, container, or point ofconsumption.

The complete separation of fluid hydro carbon into hydrogen and carbonis scarcely practicable in the checker brick-work 6 alone, certainconstituents of the hydrocarbon going forward therefrom in the form of aheavy, tarry hydrocarbon, which heavy substance is, however, broken downin passing through the zone of thefuel bed onthe lower arches 3, heatedmore highly than is practically possible in the checker brick-.

work 6 alone, this highly heated zonesepa the process is repeated. Thisprocess cumulating the coke cannot, however, he carried on continuously-The heat of the checker brick-work 6, must be restored from time to timeto a temperature suiiicient to on-use the partial breaking down.-:..efthe hydrocarbon in the checker brickwork ii, a and the heat of the lowerfuel bed must 11kt?- Y after the breaking. down? has been con-' wise berestored to'a temperature suiiicient to cause its final breaking'down?as completely as practically may be. Consequently,

tinned for the=proper length of time, the

conduits 10, 11 are closed, the valve 8 is opened, the air blaststhrough the conduits 14 and 18 are setin action and the burners 1 113are iopenedl Only a relatively] small amount of air is admitted belowthe fuel bed During the step of. reheating "the 1 over the coke chamber.servethe purpose of preventing the combustion and agitation of thecoking fuel. Any gases that have arisen from the coking fuel are, in thereheating stage, burnt, and thus assist in the reheating of the checkerbrick-work; whereas during the coking step, they pass downwardand areseparated into carbon and hydrogen. After the checker brick-work and thefuel bed have been restored to the proper temgerature, the step offbreaking down, the uid hydrocarbon is repeated. 'Should any tarryresidue or lamp black escape through a the. gas outlet 19, it will beretained in, and

recovered. from, the gas washing, condens ing and cooling devices, andreturnedto the apparatusfrom time to time with other fuels, until thegasification and carboniza tion of the original hydrocarbon are finallycompleted. Ifit is desired so todo, other carbonaceous fuel can also beused for the production of cokein conjunction with that derived from thefluid hydrocarbons as described. If it'is not desired to-otherwise usethe produced gas, it can be returned to yum apparatusand used to heatthe checker brick-work 6.

I do not regard it essential to the success F of my process that thehydrocarbon'lsh'ould be completely separated into carbon and hydrogen,asthe process will be of sufiicient utility even though, as willprobably be the.

case, the-resulting gas contains a certain amount of hydrocarbon gases.

The radiant heat from the arches over the cokingnplhamber is animportant factor in the co g roccss, the action being the same .as whenco e is made from coal by the well known bee-hive process.

f; The 0 ration of the apparatus with vary a.

v with a mixture thereof, under which conditions a portion of the fuelin the coking chamber will be consumed in converting the steamand airinto a combustible gas. If preferred, flue channels can be used insteadof the arches 3 to support the coking fuel. When the apparatus isoperated in a highly heated condition it can be used for the manufactureof commercial hydrogen suitable, for instance, for inflating balloonsorair ships.

In the modification of the apparatus illustrated in. Fig; '2, the arches4, 5, checker brick-workfi, 'air'conduits 14, and burners 13 arevdispensed with, and :a gas burner 23 is preferably supplied leadinginto the space 17. 'With-this apparatus, a shallow layerof coke, coal orother suitable carbenaceous substance placedon the arches 3, 1s ignitedby the gas burner 23 or otherwise,-and brought to a high degree of heatas before. Oil is then admitted and sprayed, as before, into the chamberin the upper part of the shell, but it now passes directly into the bedof in candescent fuel on the arches 3. It then asses through said fuelbed, and in so'passmg is broken down? into hydrogen and carbon, the gasvpassing through the bed, and

through the arches, and escaping as before,

the carbon being retainedin the fuel bed in the form of coke, the bedgradually increas .ing in depth; When a suflicient amount of coke hasaccumulated, it is removed, and the process is repeated. The heat of thefuel .bed must be restored from time to time, as before, to atemperature sufficient to cause the breaking down of theoil.

I claim The'process of obtaining coke and com-v bustible gas from fluidhydrocarbon which consists in heating to incandescence a bed of solidfuel, passing thereinto finely divided fluid hydrocarbon, therebybreaking down the hydrocarbon into hydrogen and carbon, drawing throughsaid bed'the hydrogen only and leaving thereon a deposit of carbon,admitting t0 the carbon thus deposited an amount of air sufi'icient onlyto consume part only of said deposited carbon, and repeating the part ofthe operation subsequent to the first-named step.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presenceoftwosubscribmg witnesses.

L. P. LQWE.

Witnesses:

' F. M. WRIGHT,

D. B. Rrcnanos.

